Remember June 19. History may recall it as the day when BJP abandoned its belief in its ally People’s Democratic Party. BJP had better ways of saying goodbye to its alliance partner, but it opted for a rude one – announcing from Delhi that the PDP-BJP alliance was over. Initiall, it was deemed to be a big jolt to PDP, the party that had invested all its political fortunes in the alliance that was set to doom from the day one. It had hoped against hope that the BJP for the sake of its own credibility would not upset the applecart, though there was a little semblance of governance or political stability that the allies had documented in their Agenda of Alliance.
The point of recalling the June 19th episode is that has the national interest or for that matter the interest of the State been served by the ouster of the PDP-BJP alliance government. It is more than four months that the state has been under the Governor’s rule – the direct rule by Delhi in all senses – and nothing has changed . There is a deep political vacuum that none of the parties in the State are capable of filling any time soon . Even if the Assembly elections are called tomorrow, no party is in a position to muster a clear majority, and it may well turn out to be a situation worse than 2002 when a combination of more than three parties and independents was put in place to form the government. National Conference with its 28 seats could have formed the alliance with Congress that had 21 seats, but it didn’t because the Congress did not want an alliance . The independents, too, were willing to enter into an alliance with the NC, but the then Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said, “no.” There are many guesses – some fit into the real perspective – the then NDA government led by Atal Behari Vajpayree was deadly against the NC’s return to power for there was a lot of annoyance in Delhi over regional group’s moves to seek autonomy through a resolution passed by the state legislature, thus derailing its attempts to work out a reconciliatory process with Hurriyat Conference. Abdullahs, on their part, were not comfortable with the idea of forming the government because Farooq had not contested the election and Omar had lost from the erstwhile Abdullah bastion – Ganderbal constituency .
Today, NC and PDP are sailing in the same boat . They read from the same page when they reiterate their commitment to Article 35-A that grants right to land and jobs exclusively to the hereditary permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir. But, politically, they are unable to hide their shame of 2010 and 2016 respectively .
The 2010 street protests and the use of bullets on protestors that left more than 120 dead in the final count formed the basis for what happened in 2016 . The 2010 atrocities on the protestors when bullets were showered on them and additional forces were requisitioned from Delhi to quell the protests had given birth to the new generation of militancy of which Burhan Wani became an icon . And 2016 worsened the shame for PDP because walking blind became a permanent stigma for the PDP . The party lost its high moral political grandstanding and its prestige nosedived as that of the National Conference in the political spectrum . Its alliance with BJP was thought to be the reason behind the widespread protests, but NC was in alliance with BJP’s archrival Congress when 2010 happened . So that argument now seems to an excuse rather than any real thing.. The political vacuum is unfathomable and this can create serious crisis for the State and Delhi, the advantage of which would be taken by the hostile forces.
Of course, a change can be brought in the situation and the new leadership that is youthful and bold can fill the political gaps. There are few glimpses of the men and women who are bold enough to call spade a spade. They have breathed a fresh air into the suffocating atmosphere of the double speak. This new leadership should grow on its own rather than with the blessings of Delhi. The past experience has shown that Delhi- seeded leaders become a liability for themselves, for the people and also for Delhi. This kind of hit and trial will only bring travails to J&K.
BJP’s exit from the coalition government puts Delhi – rather than PDP in violation of the coalition dharma. It has committed one act of political blunder, it should desist from the second one.
binoojoshi61@gmail.com